Autumn Leaves
by The.Platycorn
Summary: -Sebtana One-Shot- Sebastian and Santana haven't spoken after their fiery summer romance in 2012. Five years later, he has to say his goodbye one last time.


**Autumn Leaves**

It had been the summer of 2012 when the pair had last met. They'd fallen in love, and had danced around the blazing campfires and kissed in the summer heat.

Then the autumn came, and the leaves fell, and they had to part. She had to leave.

There was a terrible argument, and the pair never met after that summer. No more campfires, no more summer romance, no more passion. No more love.

Needless to say, it was unexpected when Sebastian Smythe got that phone call five years later. He was shocked, and terrified. He was scared.

'Sebastian Smythe?'

'Yes?' he'd answered. He could hear the solemn tone of voice, and the distant beeping in the background, and his mind immediately began racing through the possibilities.

What had happened? And to whom?

'There's a woman here, she's asking for you. Her name is Santana Lopez. She doesn't have very long left.'

Everything went into a haze after those words. A blur.

And he ran to her. Faster than he ever had.

When he'd finally arrived at the hospital, he was not expecting what he saw.

There was a young woman, lying in that hospital bed. But he could've sworn that it wasn't Santana.

She looked like her, certainly. She had the same flowing black hair and caramel skin tone that he remembered. The same alluring dark eyes.

He couldn't see them, those eyes. They were closed, and her breathing was steady but shallow.

Her skin was paler than normal, too. There were wires, going in and out of her skin, criss-crossing around her.

There was a heart monitor beeping beside her bed, and a breathing tube around her nose.

She lacked her fiery personality, the sparkle he had seen in her five years earlier.

Yes, she was Santana, but she was also... not.

Outside the hospital room, he could see her old high school friends crying. They couldn't believe Santana, _their Santana,_ was going. She was going to be gone, and she'd never come back.

He edged slowly towards the bed, just standing there, staring down at her. She looked so... peaceful.

It was as if she felt his presence, because a few seconds later, her eyes fluttered open.

'Sebastian?' she breathed. Her voice was a whisper, and he would've missed it if he hadn't been looking at her.

He nodded, unable to speak.

She lifted a hand slightly, gesturing to the chair beside her bed, then let it drop. She felt weak.

He sat down next to her, and for a few minutes, there was nothing but silence.

'What happened?' he whispered finally.

A ghost of a smile crossed her lips, 'This stupid disease called Cancer. Heard of it?'

She still had the Santana spark.

Tears filled his eyes, 'Since when?'

'Two years, Seb.'

'W-Why are you telling me now? Why not two years ago?'

'I'm a petty, horrible person, and I deserve this. I'm petty and horrible, and I didn't wanna see you. I regret that now.'

'Don't ever say you deserve this,' Sebastian shook his head, taking her hand and holding it tightly.

Santana shook her head slightly, 'But Sebastian, I do. I'm... Frankly, I'm surprised you even showed up.'

'I'll always come when you call,' he swore.

She chuckled slightly, 'Well, I've called one last time, and you're here. I called because there's something I wanted to tell you.'

'What?'

'I've made many... _many_ mistakes in my life, Seb, but...' her breathing was getting shallower, 'you were _never _one of them.'

'You're not gonna give up, you can fight this, Santana!'

'I... I'm tired, Seb, and I wanna sleep. I wanna let go. I wanna give up. No more kissing in the rain, no more late night talks, and no more passionate summer romance.'

'S-Santana...' he pleaded, a tear streaming down his cheek.

'Hey, hey, don't cry,' she cooed, 'I'm not afraid. I'm past afraid, afraid was a long time ago. Now, I'm... embracing it. But Seb?'

'Yeah?' he asked.

'Tell me you love me, one last time. Please,' she pleaded softly, closing her eyes.

'I love you, Santana. I-I never stopped,' he said, choking up.

She smiled, 'I love you too.'

Sebastian began to cry as the heart monitor stopped beeping.

Outside the window, the first leaf of autumn fell. That leaf, however unimportant it seemed at that moment, marked the first day of autumn.

The day their summer romance died five years ago.

And the day Santana died.


End file.
